Lunch With the Doctor
by inthelittledoctor
Summary: [AU: We work in the same office and you keep leaving me lunches because I don't bring mine.] John Smith was an ordinary office worker. That was until Clara Oswald came into his life and changed everything. {Whouffaldi}
1. Lunch

Doctor John Smith was a very average office worker. He would go to work, get his work done, and more often than not, skip lunch. It wasn't that he didn't want to eat, quite the contrary, he always went home starving. He knows he should eat at work, but there's just so much work and he doesn't want to waste any of his work time eating because that means he'd have to work overtime to get all of his work done for that day, having wasted a precious thirty minutes eating. So he simply just didn't eat lunch, and that became a normal thing for him, so normal that he'd stopped bringing a lunch to work.

Of course if you don't eat lunch, someone is bound to notice. And after about two weeks of John not eating lunch, a very nosy girl that worked in the cubicle in front of his office noticed. Her name, Clara Oswald. She'd stop working around lunch time and bolt to the break room, grabbing her lunch before bounding back to her cubicle, plopping herself down into her chair and scouting out John's door while nibbling at her lunch. Once her lunch break was over, she'd get back to work, occasionally peeking over her shoulder to see if he had left his office to get lunch yet.

One day she'd seen him finally come out of his office, only to go to the cubicle next to hers and throw some paper work onto their desk, before quickly striding back to his office. She's pursing her lips before resolving to check the fridge the next day to see if he even brings a lunch. That puts her mind to ease as she looks back at her computer and gets to work.

The next day, she's taking her lunch break an hour early, taking quick steps to the break room and opening the fridge, looking around and seeing no lunch marked with his name. She's furrowing her brow and hastily grabbing her lunch, rushing her way back to her cubicle and staring at his office for the next hour, arguing with herself over whether she should talk to him or not. She eventually breaks and finds herself standing up and walking to his office, gently knocking on his door.

She's hearing an annoyed grunt from the other side of the door and assuming that means it okay for her to come in, so she's cracking the door open, peaking her head in and grinning at him.

'Hello!' She's chirping, her tone welcoming.

'What do you need?' He's questioning angrily, not looking up from his computer.

'No need to be rude,' she's saying, a mocking pout on her lips.

He's glaring up at her, obviously annoyed by her presence in his office. 'Did you come in here just to bother me?' He's spitting out.

She's opening his door wider, taking a step into his office, trying to keep a professional manner about her. 'No, I actually came here to talk about your eating habits,' she's replying, a false confidence in her voice.

He's raising an eyebrow and she's explaining,'I haven't seen you eat lunch for the past two weeks.'

He's clearing his throat and looking back at his computer, stating,'My eating habits are now of your business, now if you would leave me to my work, that would be much appreciated.'

She's huffing and turning around, determined to have the last word,'Sorry for wasting your time, Mr. Smith.'

He's quickly correcting her before she can step out of his office, saying gruffly,'Doctor.'

A smirk is finding it's way onto her lips and she's looking back at him, a mischievous look in her eyes. 'Sorry, _Doctor_ ,' She's teasing.

And before he can correct once again and tell her it's Doctor Smith, she's slamming the door behind her, mentally praising herself for getting the last word.

The next day, John's sitting down at his desk to find a note tapped to the top of his computer monitor. He's quickly tearing it off, going to throw it away before seeing a name that looks strangely familiar name scrawled at the bottom of the note. He's sighing and moving away from the garbage bin, reading the note and feeling his eyebrow raise as he reaches the end of it.

 _Sorry about yesterday! I know it was probably a tad bit creepy to know that I've been basically monitoring your eating habits at work. I really only want to make sure you're eating properly and not starving yourself or anything like that. I hope you wouldn't mind meeting me in the break room today at your lunch break?_

 _-Clara_

And suddenly he's realising why that name sounds so familiar. He's seen it on the cubicle in front of his office time and time again. That must be how she's monitoring whether or not he's eating lunch. He's sticking her note to corner of his monitor and quickly getting to work, working faster than he thinks he's ever worked before. By the time his lunch break rolls around, he's gotten the majority of his work done for the day. He's smiling at himself as he lays back in his chair and casts a quick glance towards her note, his smile widening as he remembers who's waiting for him.

Of course he should hate her, for the only conversation he's had with her has ended with unkind tones and door slamming. Although he can't quite find it in himself to hate her, knowing that she only has good intentions in mind. He's standing up and making his way towards the break room, not quite looking forward to seeing her, but also not quite dreading it.

He's stepping into the break room, finding her leaning on the counter, drinking what he presumes is coffee.

'Clara,' he's stating, causing her to look up at him.

She's smiling at him and placing her mug on the counter behind her, saying cheerfully,'I didn't actually expect you to come.'

'Well,' he's saying, gesturing towards himself with one hand,'Here I am.'

Her smile is widening and she's reaching behind her, withdrawing a sandwich from the counter and holding it up in front of her.

'Lunch,' she's stating simply.

He's raising an eyebrow at her and asking,'You made me a sandwich?'

She's nodding and tossing it at him, causing him to flinch before holding his hands up to catch it. To his surprise, he's actually catching it, causing a smile to play at his lips. He's looking at the sandwich for a moment and noticing a name written on that bag it's in, breathing out a laugh as he reads it.

'You do realise my name isn't Doctor, right?' He's questioning.

'Maybe you shouldn't have been so quick to correct me yesterday and you wouldn't have earned yourself this nickname,' she's teasing.

He's casting her a glare before striding over to her and spinning around, leaning back on the counter next to her. She's picking her mug back up and sipping at it as she watches him take his sandwich out of the bag and stuff the bag into his coat pocket. He's taking a bite from the sandwich and staring at the floor in front of his feet, trying not to show how thankful he really is for her bringing him something to eat.

He's finishing his lunch in silence, staring at the floor for a moment before looking up at her, seeing her staring intently at him. She's quickly darting her gaze away from him and to the empty mug in front of her, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. His lips are betraying him as they curl up into a smile, noticing how cute she looks while blushing. And it's at this moment that he's actually allowing himself to look at her. He's examining her shoulder length hair and the way her nose crooks out at the end. He's noticing that her eyes are much wider than he thought and her lips are much more inviting than they have the right to be.

He's seeing her glance over at him and watching the way her lips become even more tempting just by the simple smirk that appears on them. He's hearing her huff out a laugh before placing her empty mug down and crossing her arms, looking over at him.

'I suppose we should probably get back to work now,' she's saying, a slight hint of disappointment in her voice.

He's nodding and thanking her for the lunch, walking out of the break room and leaving her alone to think through what exactly just happened.

He's arriving at work the next day, surprisingly happier than he had been in a long time. He's stopping in front of his office door and glancing behind him, seeing no sign of Clara. He's feeling a slight pang of disappointment go through him before shaking it off and opening up his office door. He's walking to his desk and slowly sitting down in his seat, looking around his monitor for notes and finding none, feeling his disappointment grow.

He knows he shouldn't be disappointed. She's probably not enjoyed his company the other day and decided not to bring him lunch again. He's sighing before quickly getting to work, trying to push any thought of her out of his mind. His efforts are proving useless as she finds her way into his thoughts every time he thought he'd finally pushed her away far enough. As his lunch break rolls around, he's hearing a gentle knock at his door. He's quickly dropping everything and jumping out of his chair, walking quickly towards the door. He's pulling it open to see a grinning face greeting him, and suddenly a smile is tugging at his lips.

'Ms. Oswald,' he's saying, his voice more cheery than he had initially intended.

She's laughing at the tone of his voice and replying,'Doctor.'

He's gesturing back at his computer and questioning,' I've a few more things to finish up. Is that okay?'

She's not replying and simply just strolling into his office, sitting down on one of the chairs in front of his desk. She's looking back at him and nodding towards his desk, saying calmly,'Go on then. I can wait.'

He's smiling appreciatively at her and quickly making his way back to his desk, falling down onto his seat and placing his hands on his keyboard, only to look up and see her gazing at him. He's holding her gaze for a moment, feeling the sudden urge to lean over his desk and plant his lips on hers. He's quickly shaking that thought out of his head and looking at his computer, only to promptly get distracted as he sees her biting her lip out of the corner of his eye.

He's sighing in defeat and saying,'Y'know what? This can wait. Lunch, however, cannot.'

He's standing up and having her mirror him, flashing him a quick smile as he goes to look at her. He's attempting to smile back and walking to the break room, looking behind him occasionally to make sure she was close behind. And of course, she always was. As he gets to the break room, he's making his way towards the counter and spinning around, leaning on it and grinning at her mischievously.

She's pointing at the fridge with her thumb and stating,'Your lunch is in the fridge.'

His grin is fading and his eyes are filling with curiosity,'You brought me another lunch?'

She's laughing at him and replying,'Of course I did, you daft old man. Couldn't just bring you lunch for one day and then stop, could I?'

He's smiling at her and hastily making his way to the fridge. He's opening it and peeking into it, seeing a lunch in a grocery bad sitting on the top shelf with two words written on it.

The Doctor.

He's looking back at her with a questioning look before grabbing his lunch out of the fridge and joining her back at the counter. He's untying the bag and looking into it, the first thing catching his eye being a sandwich similar to the one yesterday. He's taking it out of the bag and throwing the rest of the contents of the bag on the counter behind him. He's going the same thing he did the day before, shoving the sandwich bag into his pocket and going to take a bite out of the sandwich only to have her grab it from him. He's raising an eyebrow at her as she takes a bite of the sandwich and hands it back to him.

'Do you seriously expect me to eat that after you've just taken a bite out of it?' He's asking in disbelief.

'Just eat around the part I bit out of,' she's replying casually.

He's sighing and reaches out to take the sandwich back, his fingers grazing hers as he does so. He's quickly pulling back and taking a bite of the sandwich to stop himself from making any unnecessary comments. And just like that, they're eating lunch in silence, her stealing little parts of his lunch every once and a while. By the time they finished, she found herself sitting on the counter, her knee nearly touching his arm. Then finally he's breaking the silence by clearing his throat and looking at her.

'Dinner.' He's stating.

She's narrowing her eyes and questioning,'Dinner?'

He's looking at her before quickly realising all of his words hadn't come out. 'Would you like to have dinner? With me. Tonight.' He's asking, his words collapsing towards the end of his question.

She's breathing out a laugh before replying,'I would love to.'

And with that she's slipping her hand into his and intertwining her fingers with his, and for some strange reason, he feels his heart skip a beat.


	2. Not a Date

When he'd asked her to dinner, she hadn't expected anything too terribly formal. Just dinner with a friend from work, thanking her from bringing him lunches and making sure he properly took care of himself during the work day. So she'd thrown on a nice blouse with a light grey jumper and a pair of black jeans, then made her way to his flat, not too terribly worried about the dinner. It was just dinner, what was there to worry about?

And as she's knocking on his door, she's reassuring herself that she hasn't just made a terrible mistake by agreeing to have dinner with someone who's almost a complete stranger to her. She's watching the door open and almost immediately thinking that she's made a horrible mistake. There he stands, in all his six foot glory, dressed in what she assumed were his pyjamas with a hoodie and dress coat thrown over. He's grinning at her and she's damning herself for not running away earlier, because as soon as she sees that smile, she knows she can't leave him. She's smiling back at him, trying her best not to let her regret shine through her smile.

'Hello,' she's saying sweetly.

'Hello, Clara Oswald,' he's replying, his grin somehow managing to grow wider as he says her name.

She's looking at him for a moment and realising that she is most definitely stuck here eating dinner with him, knowing that it would probably break his heart to have her leave and she would probably regret leaving more than staying. He's gesturing for her to come in and stepping out of the way, closing the door behind her as she steps in.

'Is pizza alright?' He's asking suddenly.

She's looking at him for a moment like he's mad before huffing out a laugh. 'We're having pizza?'

'So, no pizza?' He's questioning, his eyebrow raising.

'No, no. Pizza's fine, I just can't exactly imagine you eating pizza,' she's replying, amusement evident in her voice.

He's giving her a crooked grin before striding over to his couch and falling down onto it, telling her to make herself at home. She's cautiously walking towards him, looking at him sceptically for a moment before sitting down next to him.

'This isn't exactly what I had in mind when you asked me to dinner,' she's stating.

He's looking at her, his brow furrowing and a glimmer of worry in his eyes,'Sorry, did I do something wrong?'

She's shaking her head no and quickly replying,'This is honestly starting off much better than most of the dates I've been on.'

'Is this a date?' He's asking, his voice suddenly deep.

'No,' she's replying too quickly, her voice littered with confusion because she honestly had no clue if this was a date or not.

He's looking at her in silence for a moment before standing up and hastily making his way to the kitchen. She's letting out a deep breath and mumbling to herself,'Good job, Oswald.'

She's hearing his deep voice from the kitchen, his words sounding like mumbling from the living room. She's standing up and wandering towards the kitchen, getting there just in time to see him hang up his phone and place it rather harshly on the counter. She's leaning against the doorway to the kitchen and crossing her arms as she watches him brace himself against the counter.

'Not a date,' he's mumbling to himself before snorting out a laugh and pushing himself off the counter, spinning towards the kitchen doorway only to see her leaning doorframe.

'Hi,' he's stating awkwardly.

She's laughing and replying,'Hello, Doctor.'

The corner of his lips are curling upward at her nickname for him and he's taking a step towards her, pointing back at his phone and stating,'Dinner in thirty minutes. Unless you'd like to leave.'

She's smiling at him and saying,'You don't think you can get rid of me that easily do you?'

His eyes are filling with hope and he's breathing out a laugh,'Suppose not.'

Her smiling is widening and she's standing up straight. 'Would you like to get back to our not-date?' She's asking teasingly.

He's pressing his lips together and staring at her for a moment before walking up to her and whispering,'Shut up.'

For some unexplainable reason, the feel of his warm breath on her face sends a shiver down her spine. She's quickly taking a step away from him and her smile is fading as she turns on her heel. She's making her way quickly back to the living room and plopping down on the couch, watching him enter after her and sit down next to her. She's looking at him and biting her lip slightly, trying to ignore the feeling of her heart fluttering in her chest.

'Why did you say yes to dinner with me?' He's asking suddenly, looking over at her.

Her eyes are widening slightly as she sees him look over at her and she's hesitating before replying,'I was honestly curious to know what you were like outside of work.'

He's laughing at that and asking,'And what exactly do you think of me now that you've seen me outside of work?'

She's looking down at her feet then, trying to think of the right words to describe him only to come up with nothing. Apparently she's lost in her thoughts for too long because she being dragged out of them by a deep voice.

'That bad, huh?' He's joking.

'You're absolutely horrid outside of work,' she's joking back.

They spend the next thirty minutes asking each other questions about the others lives and teasing each other all throughout the questions. By the time their food actually does get there, they're sitting much closer to each other and the tips of their fingers are touching. He's quickly jumping up as he hears a knock at door and apologising about their proximity before quickly bounding over to the door. He's opening it and greeting the man on the other side of the door, quickly grabbing their food and handing the man some money, sending him on his way.

He's striding over towards her and placing the pizza on the coffee table, looking over at her and smiling before stating,'Pizza.'

'Why'd you apologise for being close to me?' She's asking suddenly, her eyes trained on her feet.

'What?' He's questioning, his brow furrowing.

'Before you got up, you apologised for being so close to me. Why'd you do that?' She's asking curiously.

'This isn't a date,' he's replying darkly, clasping his hands together and suddenly becoming distant.

She's leaning forward and opening the pizza box, taking a piece out and leaning back onto the couch. 'Shut up, you stupid old man.'

'You do realise I'm old enough to be your father,' he's stating.

'Say one more word and I'll shove this piece of pizza in your face,' she's threatening.

'I highly doub-' he's quickly being cut off by a piece of pizza being shoved unceremoniously in his mouth.

'Now shut up and eat,' she's saying while reaching for another piece of pizza.

He's glaring over at her before grabbing the pizza hanging from his mouth and taking a bite from it. She's looking over at him and moving slightly closer to him, careful not to move the cushion too much under her. He's continuing to eat, so she's assuming he didn't notice and moving yet again, this time accidentally moving the cushion too profoundly, causing him to look at her.

'What do you think you're doing, Clara?' He's asking, his tone a step away from threatening.

She's not replying and taking a bite of her food, staring straight ahead.

He's looking at her for a moment, puzzled, before going back to his pizza and trying to ignore he the warmth coming from his side. Because that warmth was his friend. Nothing more. She'd made that clear. Well, not too terribly clear, she'd just said that this wasn't a date. He's finishing off his pizza and looking at her intently, trying to figure out what exactly she was to him. He'd only known her for two days, but for some reason her touch made his heart clench and her voice made him feel like someone had lit a fire inside him.

He's feeling a hand slip into his and his heart rate is picking up as he looks down at their linked hands, completely and utterly confused as to why she'd done that. He's feeling her move towards him and close the distance between them, lifting their hands up as her hip grazes his. She's placing their hands on her knee and still refusing to look at him, finding the wall in front of her much more interesting. He's watching as she takes a bite of her food, carefully chewing before leaning forward and placing it on a napkin. She's sitting back on the couch and finally looking at him, causing his heart to beat faster as he sees the look in her eyes.

'I've found out what I think of you,' she's stating.

'Is that so?' He's asking, trying to mask the genuine curiosity in his voice.

'You're like a teenager,' she's starting, earning a confused look from him before explaining,'You're very full of life, but you seem to push away people you don't know. You're scared of getting closed to people and quite honestly-' she's gesturing at his outfit with her free hand,'-you have absolutely no clue how to dress when you have company.'

He's shrugging before replying,'I suppose I'll take that over you thinking I'm some antisocial weirdo that works at you office like.'

'Is that what you think I thought of you before?' She's asking.

'Just a guess,' he's replying, reaching forward and grabbing the pizza that she has placed on the coffee table a few moments ago.

She's narrowing her eyes at him,'Did you really just steal my pizza?'

'I believe I did,' he's stating before taking a bite from it.

She's glaring at him and letting go of his hand, only to have him whimper slightly as she did so. 'No hand holding if you steal my pizza,' she's saying, her tone serious.

He's frowning and handing it back to her, mumbling something under his breath as she takes it. She's choosing to ignore his mumbling, enjoying this moment too much to really care. She's slipping her hand back into his and watching a smile finds its way onto his face.

They finish their food a little while later, their eating being accompanied by shameless flirting, courtesy of Clara Oswald. They're sitting back on the couch, their hands still linked and their hips now touching instead of grazing, causing him to feel immensely overwhelmed. He didn't know that it caused her to feel absolutely overwhelmed as well. It wasn't a bad kind of overwhelmed, they decided. It was a good kind. A kind that made you feel ecstatic and like you could accomplish almost anything.

They're sitting there for a while, enjoying each other's company and trying to stall her leaving by small talking, something she'd found out he was absolutely horrible at. But eventually, their not-date had to come to an end.

So he stood up and pulled her up with him, dropping his hand from here and feeling empty without her contact. He's walking her to the door and before he can open it, he's feeling a hand on his cheek and warm lips on his other cheek, causing his heart to nearly jump out of his chest.

'Thank you for today,' she's whispering.

He's noticing how close they are and how easy it would be to just close the distance between them right now, but he's somehow finding the strength to resist. 'Thank you for your company, Clara Oswald.'

She's breathing out a laugh as her eyes look up into his and she sees a look she'd never expected to see from him. She's quickly looking away and dropping her hand from his cheek.

'Goodnight, Doctor,' she's saying, a slight sadness to her voice.

'Goodnight, Clara,' he's replying, a small smirk on his lips.

And with that, she was gone.


	3. Actual Proper Date

The day after their not-date, he'd ignored her completely. He'd gone to work early and locked himself in his office, ignoring the knocking on his door around lunch time. His plan was to simply get his work done and then leave. No talking to Clara Oswald and no having to deal with the way she made him feel. At least, that was the plan. He didn't quite plan on her being stubborn and slipping a note under his door in the middle of his lunch break. He'd tried to ignore it. He really had. But apparently part of his mind had other ideas and continuously bothered him about it until he got up and read the note.

So he's standing up, disciplining himself for giving in as he walks to him door and picks up the note.

 _Come to the break room, I need to talk to you._

 _-Clara_

He's sighing and striding back to his desk, crumpling up the note and throwing it into the garbage bin, continuing his work as he had been before. His leg is bouncing anxiously under his seat as he works, guilt flooding his mind as his thoughts wander back to the note. He's hearing a knock at his door and quickly glancing at the time, seeing that his lunch break is long back over. He's looking at the door sadly, considering opening it before realising how stupid of an idea that was and getting back to work.

He's hearing another knock on the door and groaning inwardly, knowing that she isn't going to stop until he opens it.

'Doctor!' She's shouting, her words severely muffled by his door,'I swear, if you don't open this door right now then I will kick it down!'

His eyes are widening slightly as he jumps out of his chair, quickly making his way to the door. He's pulling it open and being confronted by her in all her five foot two glory, absolutely fuming.

'Would you like to explain to me why you weren't in the break room at your lunch break?' she's asking, obviously beyond angry.

'Work,' he's replying, trying to mask the nervousness in his voice.

She's narrowing her eyes at him before asking in a hushed voice,'Did our date yesterday mean nothing to you?'

'That wasn't a date, Clara,' he's replying gruffly before spinning on his heal and striding back to his desk.

She's stepping into his office and closing the door harshly behind her before questioning loudly,'Honestly, how could you be so daft?'

He's glaring at her before pointing at his door. 'Out,' he's stating.

She's staring at him for a moment, trying to see if he was serious. Of course, she knew he was, so she's turning around and opening the door, looking over her shoulder and stating calmly,'Don't think you're getting out of skipping lunch this easily.'

Then she's walking out and closing the door behind her, leaving him to sulk in his office. He knew he should've gone to the break room. One part of him had been screaming out for him to go, but for some reason he hadn't. He's burying his face in his hands as he's remembering the way his heart had started racing as he saw he on the other side of the door. Not out of fear, but out of something he was not quite able to identify. It felt almost like profound care mixed with affection.

He's lifting his head from his hands and letting out a deep breath, quickly busying himself with work. The faster he got his work done, the faster he got away from the temptation that was Clara Oswald.

He's closing his door and locking it up for the night, letting out a sigh as he slips his keys into his coat pockets.

'You're leaving already?' he's hearing her question from behind him.

He's pressing his lips together and turning around, replying,'I've finished all the work I needed done for today.'

She's frowning at him before saying sceptically,'You're trying to get away from me aren't you?'

It was more of a statement than a question, seeing as though they both knew it was the truth. 'I have ten minutes of work left, can you please stay here with me until I get done? I know you're trying to get away from me, but I really need to talk to you,' she's saying, her voice wavering between hope and confidence.

He's looking at her, trying to find the strength to say not, but he honestly can't say no to her. So he's walking into her office and leaning on her desk, letting her get her work done and watching her intently as she does, seeing her shoot him quick glances every so often just to make sure he's still there. Fifteen minutes of glancing and staring later, and she was done with her work. She's looking up at him and smiling, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks as she sees the way he's looking at her.

'Sorry for skipping lunch today,' he's saying, breaking the silence that's been surrounding them for the past fifteen minutes.

She's standing up and linking her hands behind her back, taking a small step towards him. 'Make it up to me,' she's saying, a hint of playfulness to her voice.

He's looking at her, his gaze suddenly finding its way to her lips. He's quickly moving his gaze back to her eyes as he realises where he was looking. 'A date,' he's saying, not entirely realising what he's saying until a few moments after he's already said it.

Her smile is widening as she's replying,'I believe that's a good start.'

She's standing up on her tip toes and placing a gentle kiss on the corner of his lips, lingering there for a moment as she glances at his lips, resisting the urge to move her lips the extra distance and press them against his. She's taking her lips off the corner of his and slowly lowering herself, getting back onto her feet fully. She's looking up into his eyes and seeing a spark there, causing her heart to skip a beat.

'Would you like to go on our date now?' He's asking, his voice low and deep.

'I would love nothing more,' she's replying, her tone low just as his was.

And with that, she's slipping her hand into his and he's giving her a weak smile, squeezing her hand lightly. She's looking at her desk and sighing, going to reach for some paper work, only to have him block her hand with his free hand. She's looking at him slightly confused before he's explaining that the place he wants to take her is fairly close and they can come back to the office to get paperwork afterward. She's sighing in defeat as she lets him drag her out of the office and over to a small cafe around the corner, pulling her through the doors. She's looking over at a corner table and pointing at it, asking if they could sit there and getting a grin in return from him. So they're sitting there, her gazing out the window and him gazing at her.

Their hands are resting on top of the table, still linked, and their prolonged contact is something that's stopped making him feel as though he's going to die from some unexplained feeling and more like he's safe. She made him feel safe and he hadn't the slightest idea as to why. He's feeling her hand squeeze his reassuringly, what she's reassuring him of, he has no idea, but it feels nice, none the less.

'I've always wanted to travel,' she's saying, her gaze still fixed on outside.

He's smirking at her out of place comment and questioning,'What made you think of that?'

She's gesturing outside with her hand and replying,'All of that outside. It's all become so boring and normal and it's almost as if everything just blends in together. I've been in London so long that the scenery doesn't seem to interest me anymore and nothing seems to stand out as it used to. I want to travel, see new things, new scenery, be amazed by things that the people that live there just brush off as something they see everyday. Then I want to be able to come back here to London, and be amazed all over again by the things that are just background scenery to me now.'

He's staring at her in wonder and his smirk is turning into a grin. 'I used to travel,' he's stating,'I used to think that traveling to new places would always be new and amazing, and for a while it was, but after traveling for a long period of time, I stopes seeing the wonder in things. Everything seems to be the same, even the most extraordinary new things.'

'I think maybe you just needed someone to travel with,' she's teasing, her hand tightening around his ever so slightly.

'Why would I need that?' He's questioning, his voice confused, yet curious.

'Well, if you were getting bored with what you were seeing, then you'd have someone else with you and you could see the beauty of where you were through their eyes.' She's explaining, finally tearing her gaze away from the window and looking at him, seeing his eyes lighting up.

'You, Clara Oswald, are very intelligent,' he's commenting, holding her gaze for a moment before looking down at their hands and pressing his lips together, wondering what on earth he was doing holding her hand.

She's following his gaze and seeing it leading to their hands, causing her heart to race in her chest as she whispers,'Tell me what your thinking.'

'I'd rather not,' he's admitting, pulling his hand from hers and placing it in his lap with his other hand, nervously intertwining his fingers and pushing them hard into the hand they laid on.

She's pouting. 'Please? It can't be that bad.'

He's sighing. This never being able to say no thing to her was getting very annoying very quickly. 'I'm not used to this whole touching thing. I'm usually not very physical with people, so this is very new and extremely nerve racking,' he's replying honestly, his fingers pressing harder into his hands.

She's looking at him apologetically before apologising, offering to buy drinks to make it up to him. He's grudgingly accepting, feeling guiltily for making her pay for their drinks. He's watching her as she walks up to the front counter of the cafe, ordering and drumming her fingers against the counter as she waits, a slight smile tugging at her lips as she sings something under her breath. She's receiving their drinks and kindly thanking the woman who handed the to her, making her way back to their table, a bounce in her step.

She's placing his coffee in front of him, only to see him frown as he sniffs it. She's sitting down in front of him, a small frown almost mirroring his appearing on her lips.

'What's wrong?' She's asking, a small hint of worry evident in her features.

'Nothing,' he's replying, taking the lid off his cup and grabbing the sugar off the table, promptly pouring a nauseating amount of sugar into his coffee.

She's scrunching her nose up and watching as he puts the lid back on his coffee and takes a sip, acting as if nothing is amiss. 'Is that seriously how you drink your coffee?' She's asking, amusement in her voice and a small smile on he lips.

He's placing his coffee down on the table and sliding it over to her, telling her to try it. She's picking it up and cautiously sniffing it, immediately regretting doing so. She's carefully putting her lips on the cup, taking a small sip and having potentially the sweetest thing she's ever tasted invade her mouth. She's quickly swallowing it down, the taste becoming bittersweet as she puts his coffee done on the table and desperately reaches for her coffee, taking a sip and holding it in her mouth, groaning slightly as it washes the taste of his coffee out of her mouth.

He's laughing and questioning,'That bad, huh?'

She's swallowing the coffee in her mouth, frowning slightly as a bitter taste follows it. 'Don't think I have quite as much of a sweet tooth as you,' she's replying, a smile playing at her lips.

'Most people don't,' he's saying, humour in his voice.

She's smiling fully now, going to reach her hand out for his under the table, only to remember what he said earlier. She's sighing, earning a confused look from him. He's asking her what's wrong and she's shrugging, telling him it's nothing, because how exactly is she to tell him that she wants to hold his hand? It sounded so simple, but with him, nothing was simple. He's huffing out a breath and reaching his hand out to hold hers, intertwining his fingers with hers under the table.

'You're a terrible liar,' he's stating, earning a laugh from her.

The rest of their date is spent smiling like idiots, talking about all the places they've been and all the places they want to go. Their hands shift as they talk, their fingers weaving their way out of each other's hands, leaving their hands simply linked.

They're leaving long after their coffee is finished, the only time they aren't holding hands being the time he gets up to throw away their cups. Their hands are linked as they walk out the cafe, standing out front as they exchange goodbyes, her kissing his cheek and him attempting to find the courage to do something other than just standing there. An effort that fails horrendously.

She's making him promise to come to lunch the next day, and he's very stubbornly promising her so. And with that, their hands are leaving each other's and she's telling him to stay here, saying that she needs to go get her paperwork from the office. She's running off, and of course, he's not listening to her and chasing after her.

He honestly couldn't bare to spend a second away from her side, which he assumed would probably become quite the problem in his future.


	4. Promises

He'd kept his promise of to her and ate lunch with her the next day. He's honestly enjoyed it more than he'd ever let on, letting his defences down for a little while and smiling and laughing with her. She'd asked him to come to lunch everyday and of course he'd said yes, inwardly cursing himself for never being able to deny Clara Oswald of anything. So he's going to the break room at his lunch break to eat with her for the next two weeks, enjoying almost every second of it. The only time he hadn't enjoyed had been the time she'd tried to kiss him and he'd stupidly turned his head so she'd ended up kissing his cheek, and he was left to spend the rest of the lunch in despair because he had just denied himself of something he'd wanted for a while now.

On his twelfth day of eating lunch with her, he's finally gathering the courage to pull her into his office during lunch and there eating in there, her sitting on his desk and him sitting in his desk chair. She's trying to get him to eat, but he's kindly declining her offerings of food and telling her he's not hungry. In all honesty, he'd been starving, but he was too anxious to eat. Having her in his office, alone, with nothing to interrupt them made him unbearably anxious. She's asking him to eat again and he's finally deciding to stop her from asking again, jumping up from his chair and striding over to her, placing a finger against her lips.

'Shush,' he's saying, his voice deep.

She's furrowing her brow and looking down at his finger, slowly moving her hand up and wrapping her fingers around his wrist gently, pulling his finger off her lips. 'What's brought this on?' She's asking.

'You,' he's breathing out.

She's raising an eye brow at him and dropping his wrist, asking curiously,'Me?'

He's looking at her, a fire in his eyes as he plants his hands on the desk on either side of her, only to pull away seconds after and take bounding steps towards the other side of his office, burying his hands in his hair.

'You should leave,' he's saying, his voice aggravated.

She's hoping off his desk and taking small steps towards him, placing one foot directly in front of the other. Once she's reaching him, she's looking up at him, seeing him frozen with something that looked almost like fear. She's looking at either side of his face, her head tilting slightly as she goes to plant a hand on his cheek. He's stiffening under her touch and looking down at her, his eyes pleading for her to leave.

'Why do you want me to leave, Doctor?' She's asking, her voice slightly sweet.

'Because if you don't I'm going to do something I'll regret,' he's whispering, his gaze suddenly finding its way to her lips.

She can feel his breath heavy on her face and she's deciding it's probably best to leave and let him calm down. She's sighing and dropping her hand from his face, turning around and taking exaggerated steps back towards his desk. She's looking over at his lunch and feeling a pang of guilt run through her.

'Please make sure you eat something,' she's saying, nodding towards his lunch.

He's letting out a quite grunt and she's taking that as an affirmation that he'll eat something, so she's gathering her things and leaving his office with a muttered goodbye.

He's sighing and shuffling towards his desk, looking down at his lunch and deciding that it was probably easier to just lie about it to her later than actually eat something. He's sitting down and running a hand through his hair, resolving to get his work done as quickly as possible and spend the rest of his day alone in the comfort of his home.

As soon as his work is done, he's jumping out of his seat and throwing his laptop bag over his shoulder, bolting over to his door and throwing open, slamming it behind him as he begins striding towards the exit of the office building. He's trying to avoid looking at her as he passes by her cubicle, failing horribly as sees her staring at him out of the corner of his eye. He's sighing in defeat and looking at her, seeing a slight frown on her lips.

'Where're you going?' She's asking, her voice disappointed.

'Home,' he's replying, trying not to let any emotion show in his voice.

She's raising her eyebrow at him and asking,'Were you going to just leave without telling me?'

'That was the plan, yes,' he's replying, tearing his gaze away from her and looking in the direction of the exit.

'I'm assuming there's a reason as to why you've been avoiding me all day,' she's saying, more of a statement than a question.

He's choosing to ignore her question and instead walk away, pushing open the exit and walking out of the building, releasing a rough breath once he gets outside. Clara Oswald was most certainly going to be the death of him, he'd decided. And with that thought planted firmly in his head, he's walking to his flat, looking forward to doing nothing but sulking once he got there. As soon as he's opening his door, he's throwing his computer bag onto the floor and taking two big steps towards his couch, collapsing onto it and groaning into a throw pillow.

His sulking is being rudely interrupted ten minutes in by a knock at his door. He's sitting up and glaring at the door, trying to remember if he had been expecting someone or not. He's then deciding that that doesn't matter because he doesn't want to deal with anyone right now, so he's bounding over to his door and opening it, raising an eyebrow when he sees who it is. Clara. Of course Clara. Who else would actually come and visit him?

She's stepping past him and striding towards his couch, plopping herself down on it and linking her hands in her lap. He's holding back a groan and shutting the door, trudging over to the couch and sitting down next to her. She's looking over at him, trying to identify what he was feeling only to be met with an emotionless face.

'Why're you here?' He's asking deeply, trying to hide his annoyance.

'Something's wrong with you and I need to know what it is,' she's replying, her hands fidgeting almost nervously against one another.

'Nothing's wrong with me, Clara,' he's stating, his voice devoid of emotion.

'Then explain what exactly happened at lunch today,' she's saying, a challenge in her voice.

He's looking at her now, debating whether he should tell her the truth or not. He's deciding that lying wouldn't hurt. 'I didn't want to have to deal with other people today,' he's saying gruffly, looking down at the floor.

'I'm not other people,' she's stating, seeing right through his lie.

He's sighing for the millionth time that day and telling her the truth,'I wanted to kiss you and I didn't think you would want me to so I had you leave so I wouldn't be tempted to.'

Her eyes are widening slightly at she's looking at him as though he's the daftest person she's ever met. 'You're an idiot,' she's stating, causing him to look up at her, his brow furrowed.

He's opening his mouth slightly to say something, only to slowly shut it and furrow his brow deeper in confusion. She's putting her forehead on his shoulder and telling him he's hopeless, a small smile on her lips. He feels as though he his heart might give out having her this close to him. He's gathering what courage he could find and placing two fingers on her chin, lifting her head up so she's looking at him. He's feeling her breath on his lips and suddenly his courage is dissolving, leaving him in front of her, frozen. She's noticing him tense up and helping take the next step, swooping forward and placing her lips on his, kissing him gently. He's taking a moment to respond, but once he does, he's matching her gentleness, moving his hand from her chin to her cheek. She's placing her hand on his chest and laughing gently into his mouth, causing him to stop kissing her and smile slightly against her lips, asking her what was so funny.

She's telling him it's nothing, the feel of her words vibrating against his lips sending a shiver down his spine. She's taking her lips off his and looking him in the eyes, seeing him gaze at her affectionately. She's leaning forward and placing a quick kiss on his lips, pulling away to see him now smiling at her. She's smiling back at him and sliding the hand on his chest around him and onto his back, placing her other hand next to it. He's telling her he doesn't like hugging and she's smirking at him, pulling him down on top of her making it so they're both laying on the couch.

He's flailing his arms around, trying to find a secure place to lay his hands finding the arm of the couch to be the most secure place. He's planting his hands there and pushing himself up, looking down at her grinning like and idiot. She's dropping her arms from him and gazing up with him with more adoration than he's ever thought possible to see in a person's eyes. He's leaning down towards her and placing a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose, suddenly noticing the intimacy of their position as her hips shift under him. He's clearing his throat and trying to ignore the feeling that just shot through his abdomen, telling her to roll onto her side. She's giving him a weird look and turning on her side, feeling him drop on his side in the empty gap behind her.

She's looking back at him and smiling slightly, flipping over so that she's facing him. He's smiling back at her, thankful that they were in a slightly less compromising position. She's pressing her lips to his and resting her hands on his chest, feeling an arm wrap around her and pull her closer as his lips respond to hers. She's deepening the kiss and trying to roll him over so he's on top of her again, only to have him pull away from the kiss and look at her with a slightly fearful look.

'Sorry, did I do something wrong?' She's questioning.

'No, no. Just, don't want things to move along too quickly,' he's mumbling.

She's nodding and pecking his lips, flipping back over shifting closer to him, his arm tightening around her.

'Thanks,' he's whispering, his voice apologetic.

She's reaching over for the TV remote and pressing the on button, placing the remote back on the table and wrapping her arms around the one on her torso. They're watching TV late into the night, her fighting back sleep as her eyes begin to drift shut. She's telling herself to go home, but part of her isn't letting her. Eventually her eyes are drifting shut for the final time and she's falling asleep in his arms, her head falling back onto his chest. He's looking down at her and laughing gently, lightly patting her stomach with the hand that was already there in attempt to wake her up.

Her eyes are fluttering open and she's looking up at his smiling face, yawning and turning around, burying her face in his chest and gently grabbing the fabric of his shirt.

'Can I stay here tonight?' She's asking sleepily, her voice muffled by his chest.

'Do you really think I'd let you go home in this state?' He's asking, amused.

She's laughing into his chest and mumbling something he doesn't understand, falling asleep again promptly after that. He's sighing and sitting up, poking her until she wakes up again. She's groaning and squeezing her eyes shut tighter, telling him to go away. He's scooping her up and standing up, beginning to walk towards his room. She's telling him to put her down and he's obliging, placing her carefully on the ground only to watch her stager forward slightly, her eyes barely opened. He's grabbing her shoulders and holding her upright, helping her walk to his room. Once they get to his bed, he's sitting her down and she's making no effort to do anything other than just sit there, watching him as he bolts around the room grabbing various items of clothing. He's bounding over to her and handing her the clothes, a confused expression finding its way onto her face.

'What're these for?' She's asking, trying to mask the sleep in her voice.

'Clothes to sleep in,' he's replying, looking down at her outfit that looks like it would be very uncomfortable to sleep in.

She's taking the clothes from him and thanking him, waiting for him to leave the room before seeing what he gave her. She's laughing slightly as she sees that he's given her the pyjama pants she'd seen him in on their not-date and then picking up the jumper he gave to her, seeing that it was full of holes. She's shrugging and undressing, putting on the clothes he'd given her. She's calling him back into the room, hearing a crash before seeing him bound into the room, informing her that he had not broken anything. And then he's grinning at her, seeing her in the clothes he had given her that were definitely too big.

'How do I look?' She's questioning, her tone teasing.

'Small,' he's replying before gesturing towards the bed,'Now get some rest. I'll be on the couch if you need me.'

She's frowning at him and patting the spot next to her. 'Sleep here,' she's saying, almost pleading.

He's sighing and walking over to her, sitting down on the bed next to her. She's smiling at him sleepily before falling down onto the bed, looking over at him, waiting for him to do the same. He's getting up onto the bed, crawling around her and laying next to her.

'You are aware that you can't sleep with your legs dangling off the bed like that?' He's questioning.

'Watch me,' she's saying, her voice almost determined.

He's getting her to lay down the right way eventually, after much persuading and a few kisses. She's burying herself under his blankets and going to wrap her arms around him, only to still feel coat and dress shirt on.

'That can't be comfortable,' she's mumbling, her voice on the edge of sleep.

He's looking at her confused before realising he was still fully dressed. He strips off his coat and dress shirt, throwing them to the foot of the bed, leaving him in an undershirt and some dress pants. He's assuming he's taken off enough and he's getting under the blankets with her, letting her wrap her arms around him and bury her face in the side of his torso. She's falling asleep quickly and he's watching her sleep for a while, not exactly tired at the moment. Sleep is overtaking him a little while after that and he's falling asleep contently knowing that she will be at his side when he wakes up.


	5. Day In

He's waking up in the morning to find their limbs tangled together. Their legs are intertwined and his arms are around her, her hands resting on his chest. He's glancing over at his clock and seeing that they still have a little while until work, so he's simply just laying there, enjoying having her so close to him. She's stirring awake at his side and slowly opening her eyes to look up and find him looking intently at her, causing her to blush lightly. She's smiling at him and telling him good morning, her voice heavy with sleep. He's laughing lightly and telling her good morning back, his voice more content than she'd ever heard it. She's shifting up and placing a kiss on his lips, giggling slightly and collapsing back down onto the bed.

'We've work soon,' he's whispering gently into her ear, the feeling of his lips almost touching her ear causing her heart to clench.

'I'm taking the day off,' she's mumbling, her head nuzzling into the pillow under it.

He's breathing out a laugh and tightening his arms around her, nuzzling into her hair. 'You sure that's a good decision?' He's questioning, his voice muffled by her hair.

She's humming happily into the pillow her face is buried in and one hand is grabbing gently at his shirt, tugging lightly at it. He's taking his face out of her hair and questioning,'What?'

She's looking up at him, a faint smile on her lips. 'Would it be okay if I stayed here today?'

'I have work today, Clara,' he's stating, trying to mask the humour in his voice with a serious tone.

She's pouring at him and asking sadly,'Can't you just take the day off?'

He's looking at her for a moment before sighing in defeat and agreeing to take the day off. She's letting out a happy squeal and wrapping her arms around him, placing a kiss above the collar of his shirt. He's burying his face into her hair again and cursing himself for letting her persuade him into taking the day off. She's asking him what he wants to do that day and he's telling her that he just wants to lay in bed with her, eliciting a laugh from her. She's telling him they need to eat at some time that day and he's grumbling into her hair, saying they can skip eating for one day.

She's then reminding him that the whole reason that they met is because she didn't want him skipping a meal a day, so he's grudgingly accepting the fact that they have to get up at some point to eat. Her stomach is suddenly growling and she's giggling, informing him that she wanted to eat breakfast. He's unwrapping his arms from her and letting her up, watching as she walks to the doorway and disappear from his view as she goes to the kitchen. She's coming back in a few minutes later with a plate of toast and some eggs, walking over to the bed and sitting down next to him, placing the plate in front of him. She's stealing a piece of toast and nibbling at it, having him playfully glare at her and thank her for breakfast, beginning to slowly eat.

She's watching him eat for a moment before stating,'I've planned what we're going to do today.'

He's taking a moment to chew the food in his mouth before swallowing and asking,'And what would that be?'

'It's a surprise,' she's replying,'Just make sure you're dressed around lunch time.'

He's breathing out a laugh and looking down at his food. 'Yes, boss.'

She's smirking at him and asking,'I'm the boss now, am I?'

He's finishing off his last piece of toast before mumbling in reply,'I suppose so.'

Her smirk is turning into a grin as she sees that he has a tad bit of jam on the corner of his lips. She's leaning forward and gently swiping her thumb across the corner of his lips, his breath hitching as she touches him. His hand is darting up and grabbing her wrist as she goes to pull away and their eyes are meeting each other. They're looking at each other for a moment before he's ever so slowly leaning forward and placing a kiss on the tip of her nose. His lips are hovering above her nose as he pulls away and it's taking everything in her to not just tilt her head up and plant her lips on his. She's noticing him move ever so slightly and then feeling a kiss on the bridge of her nose. She's closing her eyes and trying not to focus too much on their close proximity, only to feel him kiss both her eyelids and then one of her temples, his kisses trailing down her cheek and onto her jawline.

He's hesitating for a moment as he gets to her chin, his lips lingering there for a moment before he finally finds the courage to plant his lips on her neck. He's hearing her breath pick up as he kisses a certain part of her neck, his lips lingering there as he plants his free hand on the side of her stomach, eliciting a giggle from her. He's looking up at her, a mischievous smirk planted firmly on his lips.

'Are you ticklish, Clara Oswald?' He's asking, his voice low.

She's biting her lip slightly and looking down at him, unable to properly form an answer to his question when she sees his wide eyes staring back at her. He's raising an eyebrow at her and testing his theory, quickly running his fingers up her side, causing her to squirm. He's smiling and letting go of her wrist with his other hand, placing it on the other side of her stomach.

'Don't you dare,' she's warning, her breathes still coming out uneven.

'Try and stop me,' he's saying, his tone deep.

And with that he's tickling her relentlessly, causing her to giggle uncontrollably. She's falling back on the bed and he's somehow ending up on top of her, his fingering exploring her body and trying to find her most ticklish spot. She's swatting at him and breathlessly telling him to stop, only to have him complete ignore her pleas. His movements are slowing down as he looks at her face, noticing the way it's scrunched up from her laughing and her eyes are squeezed shut. He's looking at her mouth and seeing a toothy grin there, causing him to feel suddenly warm on the inside. His movements are coming to a halt as he watches her lips come together and form a content smile, her eyelids fluttering open as she looks up at him with a thankful look.

He doesn't get the chance to look at her eyes, because as soon as they're opened, he's planting his lips on hers. She's kissing him back for moment before pushing him away, emitting a whimper from him.

'You really think I'd let you kiss me after what you just did?' She's questioning.

He's frowning and rolling over onto the bed next to her, looking over at her and giving her a sad look. She's looking over at him and smirking slightly, tapping his foot with hers.

'You are aware of the fact that I'm not actually mad at you?' She's questioning, her eyebrow raising slightly.

'Yeah,' he's muttering, looking away from her.

'Good,' she's saying, reaching out for his hand and intertwining her fingers with his.

They're sitting in silence for a while, her looking at him and him looking at the ceiling, their hands staying linked between them. He seems completely and utterly lost in his own world and she's pretty sure that he wouldn't even respond to her if she tried to get an attention. So she's giving him some time to be lost in his head, knowing that he probably needs it after spending so much time with her in the past two days. After a while, she's getting lost in a world of her own, only to be interrupted a few minutes later by the sound of his voice.

'Clara,' he's saying, his accent causing him to roll the r in her name.

'Doctor,' she's replying, her voice slightly distant.

'What am I to you?' He's asking, his question taking her by surprise.

She's looking him up and down and then training her eyes back on his face, replying honestly,'I have no clue.'

He's finally turning his head and looking over at her, squeezing her hand lightly,'What do you want me to be then?'

'My boyfriend?' She's questioning, not quite sure if he would like that answer.

And of course she was right. 'I'm not your boyfriend, Clara,' he's replying,'I can never be your boyfriend.'

'Why not?' She's asking, her voice almost disappointed.

'Because being your boyfriend means I'm simply only in a relationship with you. I feel as though being your boyfriend isn't enough. I feel like it's too daft a thing and I don't want to take any part in being that simple a thing. I want to be something more,' he's replying.

'If you're not my boyfriend, than that means I can't be your girlfriend,' she's pointing out.

'Good,' he's replying, his voice firm.

She'd giving him a slightly worried look before stating,'You're strange.'

He's smiling and leaning forward, placing a kiss on her lips before whispering,'Wouldn't want to be any other way.'

She's smiling and placing her forehead on his, taking a deep breath in before whispering,'I think I'm falling in love with you, John.'

He's feeling his heart begin to race and letting go of her hand, causing a look of concern to cross her face. Her eyes are going wide as he takes his forehead off hers and looks back up at the ceiling, a look of contemplation on his face.

'I'm sorry, should I not have said that?' She's asking, her voice filled with a suppressed worry.

'No, no. It's fine,' he's saying, running a hand over his face.

He was falling in love with her too. He couldn't admit it to himself entirely, but he knew he was. That's why he had all those strange feelings around her. The feelings that were completely new to him and made him feel like a different person. He's quickly hopping off the bed and glancing back at her, seeing her expression now somehow even more concerned than last time. He's cursing himself for not being able to say the same back to her, but if he couldn't even admit it to himself, how was he to admit it to her?

'I'm sorry,' he's uttering, struggling to find the strength to move his feet and walk to the door.

'Do you want me to leave?' She's questioning.

He's shaking his head no and responding,'Just give me a minute.'

She's nodding, immediately feeling stupid knowing that he couldn't see her. He's sitting down on the edge of the bed and linking his hands in his lap, not saying anything. She's getting up on her knees and making her way over to him, asking if it's alright if she touches him. He's just nodding slightly and she's resting her head on his shoulder, apologising again for what she'd said. Her arms had eventually found their way around his torso and he'd leaned back into her, enjoying her closeness.

By the time lunch time rolled around, neither of them wanted to get up. So they'd laid down and she held him, letting him know that he didn't have to return her feelings. He'd told her not to be ridiculous and she'd laughed a little at that, holding him closer. He loved her laugh. The sound of it was wonderful to him and he thought that her laugh could make the worst of days better. He's sighing and shifting closer to her, cursing her for making him feel the way he did.

She's dozing off after a while of holding him, emotionally exhausted from their previous conversation. Her flipping himself over in her arms and watching her as she sleeps, trying to memorise every little line of her face just so he'd have the memory of it for after she left. He's watching as her hair gently drapes down in front of her face, obscuring his view of her face. He's hesitantly bringing his hand up to her face and sweeping her hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering in her hair for a moment. He's then deciding that she's probably in a deep enough sleep that cupping her cheek wouldn't wake her, so he's doing so, his thumb gently stroking her cheek.

He's seeing the corner of her lips twitch upward and quickly withdrawing his hand from her cheek. Her eyes are fluttering open and she's frowning slightly at him, a few strands of hair falling from the piece of hair he'd tucked behind her ear.

'When'd you wake up?' He's whispering.

'While ago,' she's murmuring.

He's sighing and burying his head into her shoulder, deciding that he was most certainly falling for Clara Oswald.


	6. I Love You

Her plans for lunch on their day off had quickly been cancelled after they both decided they were better off not going anywhere in the state they were in. They'd spent the rest of the day at his house and he'd made them lunch. She'd laughed when she saw eat a whole pack of jammy dodgers for lunch, claiming that old habits die hard once he finished and confusing her immensely. She'd gone home right before dinner, informing him that as much as she would enjoy his company for dinner, she really needed some time alone. He'd agreed with her and told her he actually preferred eating alone, which was a fact that she kept for later, knowing it would come in handy eventually. She'd given him a kiss on the cheek before she left, not even having the slightest clue about the storm that was about to hit her at work tomorrow.

She'd gone to work the next day half an hour early, knowing that he would be there. She's going to knock on his door, only to decide that he would have to be the one to actually come out and greet her. She's strolling into her cubicle and sitting down at her desk, sorting through some paper work on her desk and beginning to hum. She's hearing the door behind her open and she's smiling, quickly looking behind her and seeing him about to enter his office.

'Doctor,' she's calling out, spinning in her chair to face him and gaining his attention.

He's looking at her for a second, contemplating whether or not to say something back. He's deciding against it and looking away from her, entering his office and slamming his door shut behind him. She's frowning at his closed door and a sigh is escaping her lips. It was going to be another one of those days again.

She's hastily busy herself with work, trying not to think much of him being distant. Sometimes people just needed space, she understood that. But she couldn't help but feel like him being distant had to do with what she'd said yesterday. As the day progressed, she began to believe more and more that what she said yesterday had been the cause of his being distant today. She'd gotten almost no work done by the time lunch rolled around, having been distracted too much by her thoughts of him.

She's huffing out a breath as she stands up and trudges to the break room, painfully aware of the fact that he won't be there waiting for her. She's staring at the fridge, deciding whether or not she should eat. She's deciding against it and sighing deeply, resting her head on the fridge in front of her.

'Can't believe I scared him off,' she's muttering, her eyes closing.

She's hearing footsteps behind her, choosing to simply ignore them and continue her moping, that is until she feels a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes are snapping open and she's turning her head quickly to look at who was behind her, her expression softening when she sees its him. She's turning back towards the fridge and leaning her head back onto it, deciding that if he really wanted to talk to her, he'd be the one to begin the conversation.

It's taking him a moment to realise he had to be the one to say something, and once he finally does realise this, he has absolutely no clue what to say. So he's saying the only one word that comes to mind. 'Sorry.'

'You should be,' she's mumbling, just loud enough for him to hear her.

His hand is slipping off her shoulder and he's questioning,'Do you want me to leave?'

'No,' she's replying quickly, her voice desperate,'Please don't leave.'

She's turning around and looking at him, her eyes sad. Without warning, she's taking a step towards him and wrapping her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. He's awkwardly wrapping an arm around her, mumbling something under his breath.

She's looking up at him, a questioning look on her face. 'What was that?'

'Nothing,' he's replying, the tone of his voice telling her to just leave well enough alone.

She's looking at him for a moment, contemplating whether or not she should look further into what he said, deciding that she would just ignore it for now and potentially bother him about it later. She's dropping her arms from him and hearing a noise of relief come from him as he pulls his arm away from her. She's cupping his cheek and searching his eyes, trying to find the slightest hint of what he was feeling.

'Tell me what you're thinking,' she's whispering, her fingers somehow weaving their way through his hair.

He's pressing his lips together, staring at her before inquiring,'Why are you falling in love with me?'

Her eyes are widening slightly, his question coming as a shock. 'Well,' she's replying, pausing for a moment and trying to come up with an answer, only to find that there was no clear answer. 'I don't know. Love is complicated and there really is no explanation as to why people fall in love with others.'

He's furrowing his brow,'I like your nose and the way I can see your emotions through your eyes. I also like how you're brave and you give me my space when I need it, even if you really want to talk to see me during one of my distant moments. And-'

She's putting a finger up to his lips and teasing,'Are you seriously admitting that you're falling in love with me?'

'Don't be ridiculous, Clara,' he's snapping, his voice not quite angry, but extremely serious.

She's raising both her eyebrows and questioning,'You sure?'

He's swooping down and placing a kiss on the corner of her lips, whispering,'Absolutely positive.'

He's pulling away from her and her hand is dropping from his cheek, a slight pout on her lips. He's frowning at hers and a confused look is spreading across his face.

'Your eyes are doing that thing again,' he's stating.

'What thing?' She's questioning, sounding offended.

'It's like they inflate,' he's replying, the look in his eyes suddenly becoming soft.

'My eyes do not inflate!' She's exclaiming, obviously offended.

'They do! If you could see your eyes right now you would wholeheartedly agree with me!' He's saying, his voice amused.

She's staring at him for a moment before huffing and marching out of the break room, him taking a second to fully realise what just happened and chase after her. He's calling her name out after her, following her until he gets to her cubicle. She's telling him that she's mad at him and he best not bother her, lest he wants her to ignore him for longer. He's leaving the office without a word to her, leaving her to feel rather empty. She knew this is what she'd asked for, but for some reason, it still hurt. She's packing up a few minutes after he leaves, deciding that there's really no point to finishing her work for the day. As she goes to stand up, she's hearing a thud from behind her. She's quickly spinning around in her chair to see a gangly figure kneeling on the ground, gathering paperwork that was scattered about.

She's hopping up from her chair and walking over to him, a bounce to her step. 'Would like like some help?' She's asking, her voice sweet.

His head is snapping up towards her and his green eyes are wide. He's running a hand through his mop of hair and looking back down, replying,'Some help would be lovely.'

She's laughing lightly and bending down, beginning to pick up papers. She's passing him the occasional glance, trying to observe his features better, trying to figure out how she'd never seen him before. He was quite the distinct figure, with his prominent chin and his lack of eyebrows. She's handing him the last of the paperwork and shooting him a smile, getting one in return from him. He's taking the paperwork from her and thanking her, his gaze lingering on her a tad bit longer than it should. It's not as if she really minds, seeing as though she's doing the same to him. She's still gazing at him as the office door open and John strides in, moving quickly to his office only to stop when he sees two people on the ground blocking the way.

He's looking down at them, expecting to yell at them and tell them to get out of the way, only to see one of the two being Clara. His anger is quickly dissipating, being replaced by jealousy as she sees the way she's looking at the man in front of him. He's clearing his throat and somehow gaining her attention, her cheeks turning pink as she looks up at him.

'Doctor,' she's saying, trying to come off as happy, though her voice is much too guilty for that.

'Would you and your boyfriend mind moving?' He's questioning, his voice gruff.

She's looking at him sceptically and standing up, replying,'He's not my boyfriend.'

'The way you were looking at each other would say otherwise,' he's saying, pushing past her and walking into his office, slamming the door behind him.

She's left outside his office with the gangly man now standing in front of her, a worried expression on his face. 'What was all that about?' He's asking, his voice curious but caring.

'I've no clue,' she lying, glancing over at John's door.

He's quickly losing interest in the subject and holding his hand out to her,'I'm Basil, by the way. Didn't get the chance to introduce myself earlier.'

She's smiling slightly and shaking his hand. 'Clara,' she's saying, trying to sound cheerful.

'Nice name,' he's complimenting, dropping his hand to his side,'You should definitely keep it.'

She's snorting out a laugh, confused as to why she may change her own name. 'Wasn't planning on changing it anytime soon.'

He's grinning,'Good.' He's holding his arm up and looking at the watch on the inside of his wrist, cursing quietly as he sees the time. 'I've got to go,' he's stating, nodding towards his watch and then dropping his arm,'I'd like to talk to you tomorrow, if you're alright with that.'

She's nodding and replying,'I think that is like that too. You know where my cubicle is, so, whenever you want to talk, just stop by.'

His grin is widening and he's clutching his paperwork tightly, joy flowing through him. 'I suppose I'll see you tomorrow then, Clara.'

'See you tomorrow,' she's saying, feeling a mixture of joy and anger overtaking her.

And with that, he's running off and she's stomping over to the door in front of her, throwing it open. He's glaring over at her as she enters, stopping whatever it was he was doing. She's striding over towards his desk, her movements filled with anger. She's looking at his form, bent over and stiff. She's looking down at his desk to see what he was doing, seeing a piece of paper in front of him, his words stopping mid sentence. As soon as she sees what he's already written, her anger is dissolving almost completely.

'Are you writing me an apology letter?' She's asking, her voice teasing.

He's sighing and looking over at her, crumpling up the note on his desk and tossing it into the bin next to his desk. 'Don't need to now that you're here,' he's replying, his voice devoid of emotion.

She's giving him a confused look and placing her hands on the desk in front of her. 'Well, go one then.'

'I don't think we're working out,' he's stating.

Her eyes are widening and she's staring at him for a moment before whispering,'Are you breaking up with me?'

'I am, yes,' he's replying, his voice deep.

'You can't,' she's saying, her words just barely there.

'Why not?' He's questioning, raising an eyebrow at her.

'Because I love you,' she's saying, her voice louder than she expected it to be.

She hadn't really meant it. In all honestly she had no clue why she had said it. She just didn't want to lose him. He was essential to her, even though she'd known him for a short amount of time, she felt like she couldn't really live without him. He's letting out a frustrated breath and roughly planting his hands down on the desk.

'I think you should leave,' he's stating, a false calmness to his voice.

'No, not until you change your mind,' she's saying, determined to make things right.

'Leave! Now!' He's yelling, losing his temper at her stubbornness.

She's jumping at his sudden change in mood, still refusing to move. So instead he's storming out of his office, leaving without even a simple goodbye. She's staying in his office, unable to move. He'd broken up with her. And with that thought planted firmly in her mind, she began to cry.


	7. Apologies

He didn't think that he'd ever regretted anything more in his life than he had breaking up with Clara Oswald. She'd been the best things that ever happened to him and he'd simply just let go of her, telling her to go away. He's sighing to himself as he slams his flat door shut. He's staggering over to his room and collapsing into his bed, laying there for a moment before reaching over to his bedside table and grabbing a notepad and pen, sitting up and being to write, only to tear the paper he had been writing on off of the notepad and crumple it up, throwing it towards the foot of the bed. He's repeating this process a few times before throwing his notepad across the room and throwing his torso down onto the bed roughly, immediately regretting this decision as he smells her scent lingering on his pillow.

He's groaning and rolling onto the other pillow, thankful that her smell is fainter on this one. He's about to let sleep overtake him when he hears his phone chime, eliciting another groan from him. He's withdrawing his phone from his pocket and seeing her name, not bothering to read anymore as he throws his phone down onto the bed and buries his face into his pillow. He's hearing his phone chime multiple times after that, each chime sending a pang of guilt through his heart. He's picking up his phone on the tenth chime, running a hand over his face and reading through all of her texts.

We need to talk.

I need to talk to you.

Call me. Now.

Doctor, please.

Please reply I'm worried about you.

Doctor.

Doctor.

John.

Are you ignoring me?

If you don't reply then I'm coming over to your flat so we can talk about what just happened.

As soon as he finished reading the last message, another message is coming through.

Please answer me.

He's begrudgingly sitting up and thumbing a reply, immediately regretting what he messaged her the moment after he send it.

Stop bothering me.

He's slamming his phone down on his bed, furious at himself for being so stupid. His phone isn't chiming for a while after that, leaving him engulfed in silence with his torturous nagging him. He's thankful when his silence is interrupted a few minutes later by the chime of his phone. He's swiping it off the bed and looking at her reply, frowning slightly as he sees it.

I'm coming over.

He's running a hand through his hair, agitated by her stubbornness. A few moments later he's hearing a knock at him door and stumbling out of bed, not looking forward to seeing her in the slightest. As he gets to the door, he's just standing there, not entirely certain if he should open it or not. He's hearing another knock at him door, this one more aggressive than the last, deciding he best open it before she knocks it down. He's swinging it open, being met by a very emotional looking Clara Oswald. He's looking at her red eyes and her make up that had run quite badly. She'd been crying.

'Hi,' he's saying, suddenly feeling guilty.

'Hey,' she's breathing out, her voice sounding like she may cry again.

Their standing there in silence for a moment, simply just staring at each other. He's walking back to his room without a word, having her reluctantly follow him, closing the door behind her. He's sitting down on his bed once he gets there, having her stand in the doorway, contemplating whether or not it would be a good idea to sit next to him. She's deciding against, telling herself that she can always do it later. He's clearing his throat and nodding down at the spot next to him, breaking her resolve. She's moving over to the spot next to him, sitting down and looking over at him, seeing him biting his lip slightly.

She feels the need to slip her hand into his, feel the warmth of his skin against hers, but she knows he'd probably pull away immediately, so she's not doing it, feeling sorrow run through her as she thinks about how just yesterday they had slept in the same bed.

'Why?' She's asking, not realising that that wasn't a fully formed question.

He knows what she means, of course. And in all honesty, he doesn't know the answer to that question himself. Why has he broken up with Clara Oswald? Broken up wasn't really the right phrase, seeing as though they were never really dating. He's decided that because he doesn't have a good answer, it would be best to just avoid that question all together.

'Give me your hand,' he's commanding.

'Answer my question.'

'Give me your hand and I will.'

She's holding her hand out in front of him and giving him a look that tells him he best answer or question or he might get a limb detached from him. 'I don't know,' he's replying simply, gently turning her hand on its side and placing a hand on her palm and a hand on the back of her hand.

He's curling his fingers around her hand, looking over at her to see her looking at him, her look questioning. She's hesitantly closing her fingers around his hand and looking him in the eye, trying to figure out what exactly he was doing. Then she's feeling a gentle kiss being placed on her index finger. Then another on her middle finger. Then her ring finger. And then finally her pinky, his kiss lingering there for the longest of seconds before he's moving his lips away from her hand and looking over at her, his eyes filled with something that almost looked like love. She's feeling his hold on her hands tighten ever so slightly and she's feeling something inside her finally break and her breath is picking up, something inside her feeling like it was swelling.

'I was scared,' he's saying, his voice surprising her,'I was scared of getting too close to you and I knew that if I got any closer, then I wouldn't be able to let go of you. I couldn't let that happen, so I left you.'

And with that, he's placing another gentle kiss on her fingers, this time not kissing any finger in specific. She's feeling confusion flutter around inside her, not entirely sure as to why he was kissing her fingers after what he just told her. She's deciding that it's best to push her luck now rather than later, so she's leaning forward to press a cautious kiss on his cheek, only to have him turn his head and capture her lips. Her eyes are closing immediately as she feels his lips against hers, a small smile finding its way onto her lips as she moves them against his. She's cupping his cheek with her freehand and tilting her head, enjoying the new angle it gives her. She's feeling his hands tighten around hers and before she even realises what's happening, she's feeling him pull her down down onto the bed, eliciting a muffled squeak from her. He's chuckling gently against her lips as they land on the bed, a noise that causes her heart to swell.

She's pulling away from him and laughing lightly, the sound flowing through his ears and causing him to grin. She's going to bury her face into the crook of his neck, discovering that their still linked hands got in the way of her doing that. So she's whispering gently, telling him to let go of her hand, having him refuse and keep a firm grip on her hand. She's pouring and he's sighing, his resolve breaking. He's smiling sadly up at her and taking his hands off of hers, placing them on his chest. She's smiling appreciatively at him and flattening her hand on his chest, placing a gentle kiss on his chin and noticing a little bit of stubble there.

'You should let your facial hair grow out,' she's teasing, a smirk playing at her lips.

'Never in a million years, Clara Oswald,' he's murmuring, taking a hand off his chest and holding her chin in between his thumb and forefinger.

He's leaning forward, going to place his lips on hers, only to have her duck her head so his lips make contact with her nose. He's frowning, a question almost instinctively coming out of his mouth,'What's wrong?'

'Thought we were broken up,' she's whispering, a sliver of sadness in her voice.

'Do you want to break up with me?' He's asking, his tone serious.

'No, but it's not really my call, you were the one that-'

She's getting abruptly cut off by him pulling her chin forward and planting his lips on hers, kissing her gently, pouring all the love he can into the kiss. She's not quite responding at first, and even as she does, she's not putting much into it, exhausted by him going back and forth between distant and loving.

He's pulling away and his hand is dropping away from her chin, a concerned look on his face. 'Did I do something wrong?' He's asking, his concern showing in his tone.

She's shaking her head no and whispering in reply,'Just very confused.'

He's laughing gently, the concern melting from his face. He's asking if she'd like to just lay here for a while and talk, and she's nodding, laying down next to him and resting her ear against his chest, her hand still planted on the centre of his chest. He's placing a hand on hers and for awhile, they're just sitting there, silence ringing out between them. He's the one to finally break the silence, asking if he'd ever told her about his trip to Egypt where he'd met a false goddess. She's laughing gently and telling him that he hasn't, so he's going on to tell her the story of how he almost died trying to rid the town he was in of the false goddess. Once he's finished, she's leaning up and pecking his lips, moving back down and resting her head just below his neck.

She's feeling love flow through her, the feeling surprising her. She feels the urge to wrap her arms around him and place kisses on his collar bone, pull off his excessive amount of layers and litter him with kisses. She can't find it in herself to give into that urge, knowing that he would never approve. So she's simply settling with kissing the side of his neck and moving her hand up his chest, hooking her fingers in the collar of his shirt. He's resting his chin on the top of her head and wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. She's nuzzling her head into his shirt and closing her eyes, finding comfort in his warmth.

After awhile of simply just lying there, she's opening her eyes and looking up at him, placing a kiss on his jawline. She's hearing him grunt slightly from above her, feeling him stir under her. She's laughing gently, realising that he had fallen asleep. She's trying to free herself from him, only to find his arm wrapped tightly around her.

'Doctor,' she's whispering, pushing herself up and looking at his face. She's cupping his cheek and patting it lightly, trying to get him to open his eyes.

His eyes are drifting open and he's glaring weakly at her, his eyes filled with sleep. She's placing a kiss on his lips and looking at his disheveled state, smiling at the way his whole expression looks more relaxed than it had earlier.

'We should eat dinner,' he's stating, his voice rough.

'Yeah, probably,' she's whispering, leaning forward and placing a kiss on the tip of his nose.

'Well then, I suppose we should get up then,' he's saying, his voice quiet. He's taking his hand off hers and wrapping it around her waist, his hands meeting on her lower back. He's sitting up and pulling her up with him, pronouncing cheerfully as he pulls her up,'Up you go, Clara Oswald!'

She's laughing freely as he pulls her up, telling him to stop. He's standing up and holding her waist tightly, carrying her to the living room and placing her down on the couch, having her kick him and laugh the whole way there. He's falling down next to her, declaring that they were going to be eating dinner at a restaurant. She's asking him if he's even capable of acting like a proper human being while out in public and he's scowling at her, telling her that he is perfectly capable of being normal. So she's taking him up on his offer and he's grabbing her hand, pulling her off the couch and running over to the door, throwing it open. And off they go.


	8. Soufflés

He'd taken her to a fairly nice place a few blocks away for dinner. She'd noticed on the way there that his hair was still sticking up all over the place and so she'd told him to stop, running her hands through his hair and attempting to neaten it up once he'd stopped. He'd took this hair ruffling as an invitation to stare at her lips, so he'd done so, not quite noticing when she stopped fixing his hair. She'd caught him staring at her lips and laughed, leaning forward and placing a chaste kiss on his lips, telling him that she was glad they didn't break up. They'd looked at each other for a moment before having him his throat and turn on his heel, continuing to make his way to the restaurant.

They're sitting in the restaurant now, waiting for someone to come around and serve them, and she's looking around, trying to figure out why exactly he took her here. It doesn't look like a place that he would typically eat at. Then she's noticing how empty it is and realises that he must have taken her to one of the least popular restaurants in town just so he wouldn't get jittery at the amount of people surrounding them. She's trying to talk to him as they wait, only to get grunts in reply from him. She gave up once the waiter got there, both of them order their food and then sitting in silence after that.

He hadn't eaten when his food got there and simply just stared at his plate, trying to avoid her harsh gaze. She's asking for their check before she finishes her food, deciding it'd be best to leave before he becomes anymore distant (if that was even possible). He's paying with a slightly confused look on his face, having her grab his hand and pull him up as soon as he gives his money to the waiter. They're walking out of the restaurant, him being a little reluctant to do so. As soon as they leave the restaurant, he's asking why they left, not getting an answer from her. She's simply walking forward, having him follow close behind, complaining every so often. She's stopping in front of a flat building and glancing over at him, biting her lip slightly.

She's hesitantly pulling him towards the building and pushing open the door, bounding up the stairs and stopping in front of a certain flat door. He's watching as she pulls a key out of her pocket and placing it in the lock, suddenly realising that they've stopped in front of her flat. She's pushing open the door and leading him inside, letting go of his hand and telling him to make himself at home as she closes the door behind her. He's strolling through the main corridor, peaking through each doorway, looking for the living room. He's finding it at the end of the hallway, going in and deciding to just stand there and wait for further instruction from her. She's joining him a few minutes later with two plates in hand, furrowing her brow as she sees him awkwardly standing in the middle of the room.

'Sit down,' she's instructing.

He's taking two big steps towards the couch and falling down onto it, looking up at her, awaiting her next instruction. She's walking over to the couch and handing him one of the plates, having him take it from her and look curiously at the sandwich on top. He's lifting the top piece of bread and looking at the contents of the sandwich. He's shrugging slightly and placing the bread back on top, picking up the sandwich and taking a bite. She's watching him curiously as he places the sandwich back on the plate and puts it down on the coffee table in front of him, looking over at her.

'Do you only ever make sandwiches?' He's questioning.

'I'm going to pretend you didn't just ask that,' she's stating, looking down at her sandwich. She's sighing and placing her plate down next to his, looking over at him. She's placing her hand on his cheek and looking into his eyes, seeing a look of adoration in his eyes.

'Sorry,' he's uttering, his voice apologetic.

She's leaning forward and placing a kiss on the corner of his lips. 'I've an idea,' she's whispering.

He's smiling slightly and asking,'And what would that be?'

She's dropping her hand from his cheek and sliding it down his arm, entwining her fingers with his. 'Follow me,' she's whispering, standing up and quickly walking out of the room, having him follow on her heel.

She's entering the kitchen and dropping his hand, opening the cupboards and grabbing things down from the selves. She's going to reach up for the top shelf and not quite being able to reach what she wants, feeling him come up from behind her, his chest grazing her back as he reaches up and takes the flour off the top shelf, placing it down on the counter in front of her. Her breath is hitching as she feels his chest come into full contact with her back, his head dropping down, his mouth next to her ear. His breath on her ear sends a chill down her spine, causing her to freeze in her spot.

'Need anything else?' He's questioning, his voice low.

You.

She's quickly shaking that thought out of her head, telling him no quietly and thanking him. He's leaning into her and grabbing the counter in front of him, placing his lips on her neck and sucking gently at it. She's shivering and he's laughing lightly against her neck, having felt her shiver. He's taking his lips off her neck and pushing further into her, pressing her up against the counter. He's pressing his lips to the top of her ear and working his way down, smiling against her as he gets to her jawline and hears her whimper. He's stopping abruptly and moving back up to her ear.

'So then, Clara Oswald, your plan,' he's whispering huskily, pushing off the counter and taking a few steps away from her, hearing her groan.

'Soufflé,' she's breathing out, still dazed by what just happened,'Wanted to make a soufflé.'

He's laughing gently, inwardly proud of himself for being able to do this to her. 'Alright. Tell me what to do.'

'Do the uhm...measure the...' She's pausing for a long moment, attempting to point at the things in front of her, letting out an exasperated huff instead of saying something.

And of course because he is himself and she is Clara Oswald, he understands her perfectly and moves to her side, grabbing the measuring cups in front of her and asking her how much of each thing he should measure. She's letting out a deep breath and regaining her composure and facing towards him, telling him the measurements rather confidently. He's measuring the amounts while she moves over to the fridge and gets what she needs out of it, placing the items on the counter. She's hearing her name and looking over at him, being met by a puff of flour he'd flicked at her. She's frowning at him and quickly reaching over, grabbing a handful of flour from the bag and getting on her tiptoes, slowly pouring it over the top of his head into his hair.

He's ruffling his fingering through his hair, causing flour to puff out every which way. She's scrunching her face up at him and looking at the cloud of flour surrounding him, watching as it drifts down and thinly coats his velvet jacket. 'This is ridiculous,' he's stating, brushing off one of his sleeves.

'You're the one that started it,' she's saying accusingly, a hint of amusement in her voice.

'We're not playing the blame game here, Clara,' he's saying seriously.

She's sighing and turning towards the counter, beginning to mix together ingredients. He's frowning and reaching into the flour bag and grabbing a small handful of flour, opening his palm and letting some of it drift off his hand and onto the floor. He's pressing his open palm against her cheek, having flour cloud around her face. She's quickly snapping her head towards him and glaring at him.

'Thought you wanted to stop,' she's stating, slightly confused.

'Didn't say that I wanted to stop,' he's saying, his voice suddenly deep.

Her eyes are widening slightly, feeling something jolt through her at his deep tone. He's staring at her for a moment before feeling his body lean forward, his lips being planted firmly on hers. They're kissing for long enough for the eggs on the counter to go warm and all the flour drifting through the air to settle on the floor. Once they're breaking apart, she's laughing gently, her laugh struggling to escape through her heavy breathes. One of her hands had found its way to his hair and the other into his free hand, holding onto it lightly. He's resting his forehead against her, his hand still resting on her cheek.

'I love you, Clara Oswald,' he's breathing out, not realising what he's saying even after he's said it.

She's letting out a shaky breath and tightening her grip on his hand, knowing that she can't say it back to him. He's only realising what he said after he doesn't get a reply from her, quickly and quietly apologising to her.

'Don't you dare apologise, you daft old man,' she's commanding, her voice hushed.

He's closing his eyes and letting go of her hand, cupping her other cheek. He's saying nothing and simply just standing there in silence, cursing himself for letting those words slip out of his mouth. 'We should probably get to making that soufflé now,' she's whispering teasingly after a long while of silence.

'Would it be alright if you just made it by yourself?' He's questioning, his voice containing a hint of nervousness.

She's dropping her hand from his hair and taking her forehead off his, replying simply,'Of course.'

His hands are falling from her cheeks and he's saying thankfully,'Sorry I can't, just need a bit of a lie down.'

'Go to the living room and lie down, I'll be in there in a moment,' she's saying, shooing him off towards the living room.

He's leaving the kitchen and strolling into the living room, looking around for something to keep himself busy. She's coming into the living room a few minutes later to find him fiddling with her TV remote, parts of it scattered about the table. She's quietly making her way next to him and sitting cross legged on the floor next to where he was couched down.

'What're you up to?' She's questioning, causing him to look over at her.

'Don't know how your remote works. Need to figure it out,' he's snapping his head back towards the table and taking more of the innards out of it, throwing them on the table.

'If you don't put that together correctly, you owe me a new one,' she's stating, placing her hands on her knees. 'Sit down,' she's commanding, imagining that the position he was in couldn't be too terribly comfortable.

He's obliging and mirroring her other than her hands, due to the fact that he was currently busy at work with her remote. She's moving a hand over to his knee and shaking it lightly, having him look over at her curiously.

'I do love you, you know?' She's questioning, proud of herself for being able to admit it to him. 'It's hard for me to say that, so I'm sorry I didn't say that earlier. It's just, I promised those three words to my last boyfriend and I feel guilty saying them to anyone else.'

He's staring at her like a bewildered owl for a moment before placing a hand over the one on his knee and curling his fingers around it. He's going back to his work and sorting out the parts with one hand, having her watch him intently. She's leaning up and placing a quick kiss on his cheek, her hand gently squeezing his knee. She's resting her head on the side of his arm and watching as he closely inspects a bit of the circuit board. She's turning her head and propping her chin up on his shoulder, looking up at the look of wonder on his face. This look, she's decided, is one of her favourite sights in the world. His hand is leaving hers and reaching up for a part on the table, going to put the remote back together.

'Hey,' she's whispering, her voice deeper than usual.

She's receiving a grunt in reply from him and she's scrunching her face up at it, bowing her head so her nose is on his shoulder. 'Hey,' she's repeating, poking the side of his arm.

'What?' He's replying gruffly, still focusing on the remote in front of him.

She's pressing a kiss onto his sleeve and smiling slightly. 'I love you,' she's saying, her voice muffled by his sleeve.

He's stiffening, his movements stopping. 'You already know how I feel about you,' he's stating after a while, his voice deep. And with that, he's continuing to fix her remote, glancing over at her, her smile as she looks up at him causing a slight smile to play at his lips. He's realising that he has most certainly lost himself to Clara Oswald.


	9. An Adventure

The sound of the oven beeping is interrupting their intimate staring session, causing her to jump slightly as she realises there's a world outside of him. 'Soufflé's done,' she's whispering, causing his lips to curl downward.

She's placing a chaste kiss in the corner of his lips, standing up and rushing her way to the kitchen. He's hearing a curse come from the kitchen and chuckling softly, standing up to go and help her.

'Everything okay in there?' He's questioning loudly, striding towards the kitchen.

'Everything's fine!' She's calling back, her voice much higher than usual.

As he enters the kitchen, a snort is escaping him. On the top of the counter lay a smoking dish containing what he assumed used to be a soufflé. He's taking a few cautious steps forward and taking her oven mitt from her, picking up the used to be soufflé and placing it in the sink, running water over it. He's handing the oven mitt back to her and going to walk back to the living room, having her grab his wrist and pull him back towards her. He's stumbling back towards her and feeling arms wrap around his torso, holding him tightly. He's awkwardly wrapping his arms around her and trying to figure out what he's supposed to do after that.

'I'm sorry,' she's whispering, her voice dripping with sorry.

'It's fine,' he's replying, making his embrace a tad bit less awkward by shifting his hands on her back into a comfortable position.

'I've never been able to make a soufflé,' she's murmuring,'I thought with you here this time, it might work.'

'Why's making soufflés so important to you?' He's questioning gently.

'My mum used to make soufflés,' she's replying simply, holding him closer.

He's understanding what she means instantly and letting her hold him for as long as she pleases, knowing she probably has never has anyone to mourn with for a long while. It's taking a lot less time for her to mourn than he had originally thought, having her let go only a minute or two of hugging him. She's apologising and going to turn off the sink, her eyes red. She's telling him he should probably leave so he didn't have to deal with anymore of her moping, telling him that tonight had already gone bad enough and it could only go downhill from here. He's telling her that he's not leaving and taking a step over to her, linking his hand with hers. She's turning her head back and looking at him with a look that makes his heart feel like it's breaking into a million pieces.

'Oh, Clara,' he's breathing out, his voice sympathetic. He's pulling on her hand gently and guiding her toward the front door. He's pulling open the front door and stepping out, having her follow him without question. He's closing the door and kneeling down to her level, cupping her cheek.

'I'm going to take you on an adventure, Clara Oswald,' he's murmuring, his voice hinting at excitement.

'There's nowhere to adventure near here, Doctor,' she's saying, exhausted.

'There's always somewhere to adventure,' He's saying excitedly, his voice hushed. His hand's falling from her cheek as he pulls her down the staircase, having her nearly trip on the first few steps.

'Slow down, Doctor!' She's exclaiming as she's struggling to keep her footing on the steps.

As much as he wants to tell her that adventure doesn't wait for people and that they need to hurry, but he can't because there's still that part of him that can't find the will to say no to her. So he's slowing down and letting her correct her footing, speeding up slightly when she finally gets into the swing of things. Once they get to the front door, he's pushing it open, striding out with her in toe.

'Where're we going?' She's finally asking, curiosity filling her voice.

'You'll find out,' he's saying, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

So she's following him, looking around at their surroundings as they begin to slow down. He's coming to a complete stop once they enter a forest, him sticking his finger in his mouth and holding it in front of him, informing her that adventure was close. She's laughing at the daftness of his actions and asking him what exactly he just did, having him inform her that he can detect adventure. She probably should think him mad, but for some reason, she believes him. She's letting him drag her deeper into the forest, feeling completely safe letting him take her wherever he pleases, knowing that he'd never do anything to hurt her.

He's stopping and pushing her up against the nearest tree, swooping down so his lips were almost grazing hers. 'Adventure awaits, ,' he's murmuring, his warn breath on her lips torturing her.

He's going to pull away, only to have her grab the lapels of his jacket and pull him forward, her lips crashing against his. He's responding without hesitation, pushing his body into hers, causing her to back up against the tree he had pushed her against, the bark of the tree painfully pushing into her back.

'I love you,' she's whimpering against his lips, her hands somehow finding their way into his hair.

He's pulling away from her and grinning like an idiot, saying quietly,'I do believe I took you here for an adventure, not just to snog you senseless in the woods.'

'Then get on with the adventure,' she's murmuring, a hint of excitement in her voice.

He's slipping his hand into hers and navigating his way slowly though the trees, making sure she stays close. They're exiting the forest and her mouth is falling open as she sees they're on a cliff, the sight of the sunset a beautiful thing to behold from this high up. 'How've I never know about this before?' She's questioning, absolutely amazed by all the colours blending together in the sky.

'Suppose you just haven't adventured enough,' he's teasing, walking her to the edge of the cliff and sitting her down, sitting down next to her, his knee touching hers. He places their linked hands on his knee and looks over at her, smiling contently.

'How come you know about this?' She's questioning, not being able to read her gaze from the astonishing sight in front of her.

'I explore much more than I would like to admit,' he's admitting, a slight hint of something that sounded almost like shame in his voice.

She's laughing lightly, glad that she was getting to see a new side of him. She's watching as the sun falls behind the horizon, too distracted by it to notice him looking at her.

'Thank you for this,' she's saying, her voice sincere.

She's resting her head on his shoulder and a content smile is finding its way onto her face. They sit there long after the sun goes down and the stars come out, neither of them willing to leave the comfort of the other or the sight in front of them. So they sit there all night, eventually laying down, their limbs tangling up. They fall asleep under the stars that night, the both of them completely and utterly content.

They'd woken up late the next day, due to the fact that they'd had no alarm clock to wake them up in the forest. They'd quickly gotten up and rushed to work, arriving there only a few minutes late. Their walking to their respected work areas, flirting the whole way there. She's getting to her cubicle to find a lanky man standing in the entrance to said cubicle, a grin lighting up his face as he sees her.

'Clara!' Basil's saying cheerfully, not noticing the man at her side.

John's glaring at the man and leaning down to place a kiss on her cheek, making sure it lingers longer than it should. 'Meet me in my office once you're done flirting with bow tie over there,' he's uttering, earning a glare from her.

'I love you, you idiot,' she's whispering, turning her head towards him and placing a kiss on his lips.

He's giving her an idiotic grin and sauntering into his office, casting a glare at Basil over his shoulder before closing his office door. Basil's looking at her now, his look a tad bit frightened.

'Is that your dad?' He's questioning.

She's breathing out a laugh and replying,'He's my doctor.'

'But you,' he's gesturing wildly between her and John's door,'You two...' He's making a kissing gesture with his lips, his hand stationed awkwardly mid-flail.

'Like said,' she's saying, taking walking slowly to her desk,'My doctor.'

He's giving up on trying to find out exactly what's going on and asking her the question he had originally come here to ask,'Would you like to go to lunch with me?'

She's looking over at him, smiling slightly,'As much as I would love that, I'm busy during lunch.'

'How about this weekend?' He's questioning quickly, his voice slightly nervous.

'I have a thing this weekend, sorry,' she's replying, her voice apologetic.

'Perhaps another time then,' he's exclaiming, rubbing his hands together and trying to stay optimistic.

She's smiling sadly and leaning on her desk, giving him a quick goodbye and waiting for him to leave before walking over to John's office. She's cracking the door open and peeking in, seeing him doodling on a notepad instead of getting actual work done. She's pushing his door open just enough so she can squeeze though and walking over to him, a confident smirk on her lips.

'How'd your talk with bow tie go?' He's asking smugly.

'He tried to ask me to lunch. I think you have some competition,' she's teasing, sitting down on his desk.

He's standing up slowly and planting his hands on the desk, his gaze piercing. He's leaning forward, his brow furrowing. 'He's not getting you,' he's growling,'You are mine.'

She's looking over at him and gripping the side of the desk tightly, her expression a mixture of fear and sorrow.

His expression is quickly softening as he sees the expression on her face and he's frowning. 'What's wrong?' He's questioning, his voice confused.

She's quickly jumping off his desk and walking over to the door, gripping the handle. 'I'm not yours,' she's saying quietly, her voice firm.

He's running a hand across his face as he realises what was wrong with what he had said. 'Sorry, I didn't mean that.' He's pausing for a moment, dropping his hand from his face and giving her potentially one of the most sorrowful looks she's ever seen. 'I'm completely yours. No doubt about it. So I just guess I kind of assumed it was the same for you.'

She's sighing and letting go of the door handle, taking small steps towards him. She's stopping once she gets in front of him, getting up on her tiptoes and looking into his eyes. 'I would be happy to be yours, but just know that you do not own me.'

He's smiling slightly and nodding, muttering deeply,'I am completely and utterly yours, Clara Oswald.'

She's smiling and placing a kiss on the corner of his lips, whispering,'My John.'

'My Clara,' he's replying in a hushed voice, looking at her with love in his eyes. He's leaning down to kiss her, having her lean up to meet him in the middle, only to have his door open and a coworker burst in. They're quickly jumping away from each other, both of their gates snapping towards the door.

Basil. Of course Basil, he'd be the only person to burst into an office unannounced.

'Clara!' He's exclaiming,'I was wondering where you were, I needed to ask you a question.'

'Basil,' she's saying, her voice shrill. 'Could you uhm, wait outside the door for a few moments and let me finish what I was doing with John?'

'What exactly was it that you were doing?' He's questioning, looking around the room for any hint of what they were doing.

'Please just go sit out by the door, Basil,' she's saying, desperation in her voice.

He's moving his lips to the side and obliging, trying to figure out what exactly he had just walked into.

'Really?' John's questioning, amused,'That's my competition?'

'Shut up,' she's whispering, striding towards him and placing her hand on the back of his neck, pulling him down and kissing him. The separate a few seconds later, her resting her forehead on his chest and mumbling,'Suppose I should go see what Basil wants now.'

He's wrapping his arms around her, surprising her, seeing as though this is the first time he has willingly engaged a hug. They're saying nothing for the duration of the hug, him being the one to pull away in the end. 'See you at lunch?' He's questioning, his voice containing a hint of hopefulness.

'Defiantly,' she's answering, sliding her hand off his neck and placing one last kiss on his lips, walking over to the door and casting a glance at him before leaving, being met by a very lost looking Basil at the side of the door.

The explanation of what was going on between her and John took over an hour.


End file.
